otter

Eurasian otters are among the fastest aquatic mammals, swimming at speeds of up to 10 kph/6 mph. They propel themselves by strong undulations of the body and tail and strokes of the hind feet. They can stay submerged for four minutes without coming up for air.

A river otter in North America. There are thirteen different species of otter in the World, the North American being one of the largest. The long flattened tail helps them turn rapidly when swimming.

Any of various aquatic carnivores belonging to the weasel family, found on all continents except Australia. Otters have thick brown fur, short limbs, webbed toes, and long, compressed tails. They are social, playful, and agile.

The genus Lutra includes the river otters of North America, Europe, and Asia, which measure about 1 m/3.5 ft long, including the tail. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) of the North Pacific is the most aquatic. It sometimes lies on its back in the water, resting a stone on its chest, on which it breaks shellfish. The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) of South America reaches 1.5 m/5 ft plus a 70 cm/2.3 ft tail. The hairy-nosed otter Lutra sumatrana was sighted in Thailand in early 2000 for the first time in a number of years. It was feared that it had become extinct. There are 13 species of otter worldwide.